Delivery system and method

Abstract

A delivery system and a method of delivering articles are provided. The system has a secure box having a planar top wall and a cylindrical sidewall, and a reclosable opening in the top wall, at least one reclosable opening in the sidewall. The system is configured to open the top wall opening for receiving an article into the secure box and for closing and locking the top wall opening, upon the article being received in the secure box. A round conveyor having at least two partitions and is configured and disposed to hold the article and to rotate and dispose the article proximate the sidewall opening for a recipient of the article.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A delivery system comprising:
 a secure box having a planar top wall and a cylindrical sidewall; 
 a reclosable opening in the top wall; 
 a top wall door configured and disposed to close the reclosable opening in the top wall; 
 a top wall lock configured and disposed for locking the top wall door closed; 
 at least one reclosable opening in the sidewall; 
 a sidewall door configured and disposed to close the reclosable opening in the sidewall; 
 a sidewall lock configured and disposed for locking the sidewall door closed; 
 the system being configured and disposed to move the top wall door and open the top wall opening for receiving an article into the secure box and for moving the top wall door and closing the top wall opening, and for activating top wall lock and locking the top wall door closed, upon the article being received in the secure box; 
 at least one round conveyor having at least two partitions and being configured and disposed to hold the article and to rotate and dispose the article proximate the sidewall opening; 
 the at least one sidewall opening being configured and disposed to be unlocked and opened for the removal of the delivered article from the at least one round conveyor and to close and lock upon the retrieval of the article by a user. 
 
     
     
       2. The delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one round conveyor comprises a first conveyor and a second conveyor, the first conveyor is disposed on top of the second conveyor and has a bottom wall with an opening configured and disposed to pass the delivered article therethough and to the second conveyor. 
     
     
       3. The delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one round conveyor has at least three said partitions. 
     
     
       4. The delivery system of  claim 3 , wherein the at least three partitions are substantially equally angularly spaced about the at least one round conveyor. 
     
     
       5. The delivery system of  claim 3 , wherein at least one of the partitions is angularly spaced differently, about the at least one round conveyor, than the other of the at least three partitions, configuring the at least one round conveyor to receive and hold articles of different sizes. 
     
     
       6. The delivery system of  claim 1  further comprising an aerial drone configured to deliver the article to the secure box. 
     
     
       7. The delivery system of  claim 6  further comprising a delivery vehicle configured to move the article to be delivered, or a plurality of the articles to be delivered, and to supply the articles to be delivered to the aerial drone. 
     
     
       8. The delivery system of  claim 6  further comprising at least one sensor, communication link, or internet connectivity. 
     
     
       9. The delivery system of  claim 6  further comprising a sensor and being configured to guide or navigate the aerial drone, with the sensor, for the delivery of the article through the reclosable opening in the top wall and into the secure box. 
     
     
       10. The delivery system of  claim 6  further comprising a sensor and being configured to guide or navigate the aerial drone, with the sensor, for landing on the planar wall of the secure box. 
     
     
       11. The delivery system of  claim 6  further comprising a communication link or internet connectivity and being configured to communicate to a recipient of the article, with the communication link or the internet connectivity, that the article has been delivered to the secure box. 
     
     
       12. The delivery system of  claim 1  further comprising wireless connectivity or an electronic input device and being configured to move the article proximate the at least one opening in the sidewall and open the opening, upon a recipient of the article inputting or wirelessly sending a code or password to the delivery system with the wireless connectivity or the electronic input device. 
     
     
       13. A method of delivering articles comprising the steps of:
 opening a portion of a top wall of a secure box; 
 moving an article being delivered through the opening in the top wall and into the secure box; 
 holding the article with at least one round conveyor having partitions extending up from a bottom wall; 
 closing and securing the top portion of the top wall; 
 receiving a communication from a recipient of the article; 
 rotating the at least one round conveyor and disposing the article proximate a sidewall opening in the secure box; 
 opening the sidewall opening and retrieving the article held on the at least one round conveyor between the partitions, by the recipient; 
 and closing and securing the opening in the sidewall. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13  further comprising moving a first article having a first size and a second article having a second size through the opening in the top wall and holding the first article between a pair of said partitions having a first space therebetween and holding the second article between a pair of said partitions having a second space therebetween, the first size being different than the second size and the first space being different than the second space. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13  comprising passing the article through an opening in an upper said at least one round conveyor and moving the article to a lower said at least one round conveyor, the step of rotating the at least one round conveyor comprises rotating the lower round conveyor and the step of opening the sidewall opening comprises opening a lower sidewall opening. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 13  comprising moving and delivering the article to the secure box with an aerial drone. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16  comprising moving a plurality of articles with a vehicle proximate the secure box and supplying the articles to the aerial drone for moving to the secure box. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17  comprising sensing or communicating at least one parameter and guiding or navigating the aerial drone for delivering the article through the reclosable opening in the top wall and into the secure box. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 13  comprising communicating to a recipient of the article that the article has been delivered to the secure box.